Virginia's Commitment

The headlines are glaring with so many articles on energy: the rising cost of gasoline, the trickle-down effect, ethanol, ANWR, global warming, greenhouse gases, renewable energies, and on and on and on. It makes one's head swim.

I thought I would check-in this week to see how Virginia's contract with curtailment services provider, EnergyConnect, was progressing. You may recall Governor Kaine's announcement of the contract in December 2007:

http://www.governor.virginia.gov/MediaRelations/NewsReleases/viewRelease...

Perhaps, America has finally dug itself a hole it can't get out of in its insatiable thirst for oil.

Reflecting on the May 3, 2008 editorial from the Roanoke Times, "A Civic Beats a Hummer," Americans are realizing at long last that they can't drive gas hogs, and feel like the "King of the Road," without paying a price. They're turning in the keys to SUVs in Florida and elsewhere in droves, where dealerships aren't accepting the vehicles any longer. We saw a similar effect from the oil embargo in the 1970's, and our policies didn't change.

The blame can be spread from the top on down.

Our May 1st posting from Mercury News, "Tax Break Stalemate Slows Green Movement," is cause for concern.

Tax rebates and a moratorium on the federal gas tax during the summer months are great election year political ploys.

I feel the pain, just like everyone else at the gasoline pump, but if Americans can't cut back on their use of gasoline and energy consumption in total, it all amounts to great folly. The American public needs to show a resilence it hasn't exhibited since World War II.

A cartoon in the Sunday, April 20, 2008 edition of the Washington Post really brings things into perspective. It shows a little boy from a third world nation sitting in front of a barrel labeled “Biofuel”, while standing in front of him is a large gentleman dressed in a suit labeled, “Agribusiness” - the caption reads: "Eat your dinner - children in America are running out of gas."

One of the most exciting initiatives to date in the region is the Energy Efficiency Partnership of Greater Washington and the Chesapeake Crescent – public/private partnerships that promote green building.

The original announcement of the Partnership between the capital region, Virginia Tech, Hannon Armstrong*, and Pepco Energy Services** took place last fall.

Read our news posting from the April 16, 2008 edition of the Charleston Gazette..."Power line clears hurdle."

To access the Joint Stipulation and Agreement for Settlement filed on April 16, 2008 with the West Virginia Public Service Commission among TrAILco, the Commission's Staff, the Consumer Advocate Division, and the West Virginia Energy Users Group (Case # WV 07-0508-E-CN) go to:

http://www.psc.state.wv.us/webdocket/default.htm

Read our post from the April 11, 2008 Dallas Morning News - "Greenhouse gas limits could create big challenges FERC official says."

As if electricity generated from coal-fired facilities and carried long-distances via transmission lines hasn't caused enough opposition, FERC tells us renewable energy transported via the same method, will also be a problem.

They're right.

Renewable energy from distant sources will move us away from coal-fired generation, but not transmission lines.

Dominion CEO Tom Farrell speaking during the Energy Technology Summit at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise stated, “We do not have the luxury of limiting ourselves to a few sources of energy and excluding others… We need to draw on every resource at our disposal – coal, nuclear, oil, natural gas, renewable power and aggressive and smarter conservation and efficiency programs.”

Today's Associated Press article - "DOMINION CRITICIZED ON N.VA. DEALINGS...Opponents allege it bought off foe of proposed power line", supports what we have been expressing for days regarding their purchase of CPV Warren.

To quote an excerpt from my March 18th blog, is their intent to "Take all the competition out in one fell swoop?"

It is very naive on their part to have believed this acquisition wouldn't raise significant questions in the minds of their opponents in the transmission line case, and the public at-large.

In recent days Dominion has been describing their planned Wise County coal-fired facility as a "hybrid energy center" - whatever that may be.

Perhaps, their hope is it will give citizens a comfort level, like hybrid vehicles that help reduce carbon emissions and protect the environment.

When I think of the term "hybrid", it only brings "hybrid loans" to mind, and we all know what they have done to homeowners and our economy.

The Wise County plant may go the way of those hybrid loans...until someone comes up with yet another way to be creative in duping the public.